The present invention relates to stowage bins. More particularly, the invention relates to stowage bins capable of being quickly and easily installed within, and removed from, the interior of an aircraft.
To maximize profitability and use, an aircraft may have to be capable of multi-use, i.e., carry passengers only, freight or cargo only, or of mixed use where both freight and passengers are carried. It is also important to be able to convert the aircraft from one mode, e.g., passenger, to another mode, e.g., freighter, within a minimum of time, easily, and using relatively simple tools.
When converting from freighter mode to either passenger mode or mixed mode, it is also highly desirable that overhead stowage bins for passengers and other interior trim be installable in such a way that passengers do not perceive any misalignments among the installed bins or trim. The fit and finish of the conversion installation should appear to the passenger that it was accomplished with the same high degree of quality obtainable from the original manufacturer.
In the past, stowage bins were affixed to the interior of the aircraft using commonly used fasteners and techniques which did not facilitate the conversions desired. An attempt at making stowage bins more easily removable from aircraft is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,199, issued Oct. 24, 1972, to Matuska. However, the stowage bin of Matuska is impractical because it does not accommodate all loads experienced in flight. Matuska also seems unconcerned with the problems of converting aircraft from one functional mode to another.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a stowage bin which may be easily, quickly, and accurately installed within, and later removed from, the interior of an aircraft.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a stowage bin which may be installed within, and later removed from, the aircraft interior using no tools.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a support panel for the stowage bin of the present invention whereby the stowage bin can be easily, quickly, accurately, and securely installed within, and removed from, the interior of the aircraft.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of a latching mechanism whereby the present stowage bin may be installed quickly, easily, in a reliable manner, and later removed from, the aircraft.
Yet another object of this invention is the provision of a method of accurately installing stowage bins of the present invention.
These and other objects are accomplished in the present invention using a quickly releasable stowage bin mountable on one or more support panels affixed to the interior of the aircraft. In the installation of a single stowage bin, quickly releasable mounting means respectively affix the upper and lower portion of the stowage bin to the upper and lower portion of a support panel. Each support panel is initially aligned in the factory whereby a conversion of the aircraft from freighter mode to full or partial passenger mode, results in a rapid, easy, secure, and quality installation of each stowage bin. The quickly releasable mounting means also facilitates the rapid and easy removal of each stowage bin from within a compartment of the aircraft during conversion of that compartment from passenger mode to freighter mode.
Other objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings where the same reference numeral is used to denote the same element.